Sporadic incidents of violence in some districts mark bandh

PATNA: The Left-sponsored bandh called in support of the two-day strike of the 10 central trade unions passed off peacefully, with banking and public transport services being affected partially and some sporadic incidents of violence reported from some parts of the state.
The Left parties that had given the bandh call included CPI (ML), CPI, CPM, SUCI, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP). The RJD, HAM (S) and Vikasasheel Insaan Party, BSP and Samajwadi Party, also supported the strike.

In Patna, bandh supporters gathered at Gandhi Maidan near the statue of Sivsagar Ramgulam Sahu and then took out a rally which converged at the Dak Bungalow crossing, where leaders of various political parties and representatives of farmers’ organisations, rickshaw pullers and auto-rickshaw drivers’ union, among other bodies addressed the gathering.

The State Bank Employees’ Federation president B Prasad said, “Reports from various parts of the state said that banking activities and clearing operations remained suspended.” The two-day strike was marked by dharnas, processions and rallies. They were protesting against the Centre’s policies regarding privatization, merger and closure of the nationalized commercial banks, Prasad added.

State general secretary and president of Punjab National Bank Employees’ Association, B K Mishra and Rameshwar Prasad, respectively, said all the members of the association took part in the two-day strike. They said the strikers were demanding immediate implementation of the agreement reached on salary revision and a stop to unnecessary amendments in the labour laws.

All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation state general secretary Raj Kumar Jha said the two-day strike was successful in the state. Bihar State Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Association vice-president Navin Mishra said the autos remained off the roads in support of the demands of the association.